Energy Independence

Energy independence is the state in which a country is self-sufficient in its energy supply and so has no need to import energy, or the political policy of trying to achieve this condition.

In the United States, energy independence is de facto equivalent to oil independence. Currently the US is heavily dependent on oil imports from the Middle East and Russia. Proponents of energy independence view this as weakening the country by making it dependent on international oil prices and vulnerable to threats from oil exporters, and so campaign for efforts to reach independence by either increasing domestic production, decreasing oil demand, or a combination of the two approaches.

While oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia are energy independent, they are often beholden to others because they lack other natural resources, such as food, water, timber, metals and skilled labor.